Todeswunsch - Sous le soleil de Saturne

"Todeswunsch" - Sous le soleil de Saturne ("Death wish" - Under the sun of Saturn, usually referred to as "Todeswunsch") is the title of Darkwave band Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows' second album. It was released in 1995. "Todeswunsch" saw a shift in focus from a rough darkwave sound to more of a renaissance sound, leaving behind drum machines in favour for medieval instrumentation and shrill female voices (all of them performed by Anna-Varney). The newer sound caused a great divide amongst listeners. A limited pressing of 3,000 CDs was initially available.

The title song "Todeswunsch (vers.)" is a darkwave interpretation of Cat Stevens' "I Think I See The Light", originally released in 1970 on the album Mona Bone Jakon.

In 1999, "Todeswunsch" was re-released with slightly different artwork. In 2003, the album was re-released again with entirely new artwork, including a radically new cover. "Todeswunsch" may or may not have been re-released a third time in 2004, when most of the other Sopor Aeternus albums were re-released.

The cover painting of the original release is a detail of "The Death of the Virgin" by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

[edit] Track listing

"Flesh Crucifix (Suffering from Objectivity)" – 1:52
"Die Bruderschaft des Schmerzes (Die Unbegreiflichkeit des Dunklen Pfades, den die Kinder Saturns gehen)" – 5:49
"Shadowsphere I & II (The Monologue-World and the subconscious Symbols)" – 7:37
"Saltatio Crudelitatis (Tanz der Grausamkeit, vers.)" – 5:47
"Just a Song without a Name" – 0:28
"Soror Sui Excidium (Geliebte Schwester Selbstzerstörung)" – 4:35
"Le Théâtre de la Blessure sacrée" – 2:58
"The Devil's Instrument" – 5:18
"Todeswunsch (vers.)" – 5:38
"Drama der Geschlechtslosigkeit (part 1)" – 2:05
"Freitod-Phantasien" – 3:23
"Drama der Geschlechtslosigkeit (part 2)" – 5:10
"Saturn-Impressionen" – 2:47
"Somnabulist's secret Bardo-Life (Does the Increase of Pain invite the Absence of Time?)" – 4:17
"Not dead but dying" – 5:11
"Only the Dead in the Mist" – 5:12
"This profane Finality" – 4:35
"Cage within a Cage... (...within a Cage within a cage...)" – 1:59

[edit] Notes

All song titles had their subtitles removed on the 2003 re-release edition.
On some issues, both portions of "Shadowsphere" are separate tracks.
The title of "Soror Sui Excidium (Geliebte Schwester Selbstzerstörung)" was changed to "Soror (Sister of Self-destruction)" for re-releases.
The song "Drama der Geschlechtslosigkeit (part 2)" contains a melody from the well known musical Mary Poppins.